Ducks play host to Wildcats in Pac-12 action

Eugene, OR (SportsNetwork.com) - The surging Oregon Ducks will try to keep
their hot streak alive heading into the Pac-12 Conference Tournament, as they
finish off the regular season against the third-ranked Arizona Wildcats at
Matthew Knight Arena.

Oregon, a team that rose to No. 10 in the national rankings earlier in the
year, looked to be on its way to a disappointing finish in the beginning of
February. However, the Ducks have saved themselves with wins in six straight
games entering this bout with the Wildcats. They are now 21-8 overall, and 9-8
in league play.

Arizona's standing as the top team in the Pac-12 and one of the best in the
country has rarely been challenged this season. The Wildcats own a sparkling
28-2 overall record and, aside from a pair of tough road losses to California
(60-58) and Arizona State (69-66), have dominated against the rest of the
Pac-12. They won the conference's regular season title and earned the top seed
in the upcoming league tournament.

The Wildcats just slipped by Oregon (67-65) when these teams met on Feb. 6.
The Ducks had won the previous two meetings, but Arizona has full control of
the all-time series (46-25).

In their most recent outing, the Wildcats escaped with a 74-69 victory over
Oregon State. Arizona struggled in shooting just 42.1 percent from the floor,
but they outscored the Beavers 21-12 off turnovers. Nick Johnson bolstered his
Pac-12 Player of the Year candidacy by tying the game-high with 25 points.

Arizona has supported its rather mediocre offensive production this season
(74.1 ppg, .468 FG percentage) by clamping down on defense and attacking the
glass. The Wildcats are sixth in the country in average yield (58.5 ppg) and
ninth in opponent field goal percentage (.385). They are also a top-20 team in
rebounds (39 rpg). Johnson (16.3 ppg) carries the team offensively and is one
of the primary ball-handlers, although T.J. McConnell (8.3 ppg, 5.6 apg) has
fit in nicely at the point after transferring from Duquesne. Freshman phenom
Aaron Gordon (12 ppg, 7.8 rpg) has had an inconsistent year, while Kaleb
Tarczewski (10.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg) has played his best down the stretch, scoring
in double figures in four straight games.

Oregon fended off a tough Arizona State squad in its most recent contest. The
Ducks, who usually rely heavily on the backcourt, were instead powered from
the inside in the contest. Mike Moser scored 22 points and collected 17
rebounds, and Waverly Austin contributed 10 boards and five blocks, both
career-highs, in playing more than 20 minutes for just the third time this
season.

The Ducks' strategy is a bit different than the Wildcats', as Oregon relies
more on lighting it up on offense to collect victories. The system has been
mostly successful for Dana Altman's squad, which is leading the Pac-12 and
among the top-10 teams nationally in scoring (82.9 ppg). Heading up the effort
is Joseph Young (18.6 ppg), as the 6-foot-2 guard, who transferred from
Houston, has enjoyed the best year of his career, and is currently on pace
for career-highs in scoring, field goal percentage (.471) and free-throw
percentage (.892). Moser (13.8 ppg, 8.1 rpg), another transfer, anchors the
team on the interior and Jason Calliste (12.3 ppg) and Damyean Dotson (10.4
ppg) lend support.